Power mowing device



May 27, 1941- .L c. STEIER ETAL .2,243,133

qPOWER MowING DEVICE Filed March 19, 1938 5 sheets-sheet 1 May 27, 1941. J. c. STEINER ETAL POWER MOWING DEVICE Filed March 19. 195s 5 sheets-sheet 2 II.| .Dl lllllllllllllllll |ll|.| IIIIII|II|I| lll Il I.|||I.I|

May 27, 1941. J. c. STEINER Erm.`

POWER M OWING DEVICE l Filed March 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 wmv nl 4 yay 27, 1941. .1. c. STEINER ETA'L POWER MOWING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 19, 1938 Patented May 27, 1941 Y 2,243,133 rowEa Mowme inilvlcii4 :wenn o. seiner na cunas c. man, si. una, Mo.; said Fulton assigner to laid Steiner Application March 19, 193s, serial No. 196,875

s claim. .(cl. srs-25.4)

This invention relates to power mowing devices and has for one ofvits objects, the provision of improved means for combining the tractor or propelling device with either one of-a pair of mowing devices, such as a mower or avweed cut` ter, as desired.

elevation taken through the traction roller ap' proximately on the line i'i-il of Eis'. 1. y

Another object is to provide improved detachable securing means for connecting the tractor to either the mower or the weed cutter.

AA further-object is to provide an improved propelling device with power driving means for cooperative attachment with the mowing devices.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the propelling device for the mowers with an improved cooperable power transmission device.

Another further object of the invention is to Aprovide an improved drivingmechanism for the traction rollers o! the 4propelling device.v

Anotherstill further object is in providing thei cutters of one of the mowing devices with improved adjustable means.

Other objects and advantages will lappear -as this description progresses and by reference to the drawings. in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the propelling device ortractor in coupled relation with a mowling device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of anothermowing'.

device coupled with the propelling 'device and the propelling device having portions thereof broken away. l f

Figure 3 is a. horizontal plan elevation of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. l

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional elegettin taken approximately on the line I-l of Figure 6 is an inverted view of one of `the mowing or cutting devices taken in the direction of the arrow l in Fig. 4.

Figure 'I is an enlarged horizontal sectional elevation through the power tron gearing, taken approximately on the line 1`| of Fig. 9.

Figure 121s a transverse vertical sectional velevation taken approximatelyon the line |2-I2of Fig. 11. l

, Figure 13 is a transverse 'vertical sectional elevation taken approximately on the line il- AOIFIZJ.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, and particularly Figs. i and 3, Il designates a horizontally disposed base plate which Vis supportedlon a. channel member frame i6 to which guiding-handle bars I1 are connected at their lower ends. and forthe support of said base plate are a pair of alining traction rollers I8 which are loosely turnable on a shaft I9 which is supported in end bearings 2l.

Secured on` thefbase plate I5 is an internal combustion motor 2| having a horizontally disposed driving -shaft 22 which connects with an in-line transmission shaft 220i' power transmission gearing, which -is disposed in the transmission gearing box 24. Adjustably secured to the side disposed channel members 2l of the .base plate i5 are respective-horizontally disposed and forwardly extending arms 2l, said arms being secured to the side channel members lby'bolts 21 which arecarried by said channel members and extend through respective longitudinal slots 28 of respective arms 20.

- 'I'he arms 26 at their forwardly extending ends are secured in tied relation by an end bolted rod 2! with a spacer sleeve 3l thereon in' end abutmentv with respective arms, and for the supportv of said arms at their extending ends. are respective casters 3|, the turning pin 32 of each castor being lverticallysupported in a bearing 33 Figure 8 is an enlll'led longitudinal vertical sectional elevation taken approximateiy'on the line 8-I` of Fig. .7.

Figure 9`is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional elevation taken approximately on the line l-i of Fig. 7.

Figure 10 is an enlarged transverse vertical, sectional elevation taken approximately on the line iI.-`IlofFlg.7. e

Figure l1 is a .longitudinal vertical sectional vvhavingadiametricallydlspos'edr'ecessllonits' Mounted on the inside or each inn -zl rear'- wardly of respective castors Il is a vertically disposed guiding member il, said guiding members .being in'transverse alinement and are' for thel vertically adiustable support of respective depending ends Il of a horizontally disposed supporting beam." which is disposed transverse to thearms 2l, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3,

li: and-5. Depended from the supporting beam It are a series ot .vertically disposed pedestals- 31 and supported ih each pedestal is a vertical shaft I8 and secured to the lower end of each `hait outwardly of respective pedestals, is a hub 3l under face for the reception of a cutter bar Il. Each cutter bar 4| is secured in a' recess of respective hubs 33 by a nut 42 which is engaged on the lower ends of respective shafts 33, and secured on the upper side of each cutter bar is an upwardly extending hub 43, said hubs overengaging thelower ends of respective pedestals 31 for preventing roughage such as weeds, Yentangling between each shaft 38 and respective pedestais.

Carried by the extending ends of each cutter bar is a double-edged knife 44I each knife hav. ing a set of three alining holes, the intermediate hole of each set being of smaller diameter and is for the reception of a securing rivet 45 which may be made'of a relatively soft material for shearing purposes, and the rivet 45 of each knife 44 being secured in respective cutter bars 4I.

A bolt 46 is mounted in each inner disposed hole of respective knives 44 and is passed through a respective alining hole in the ange 41 of respective hubs 39 and is secured therein by each bolt being threadingly engaged at 45 in respective cutter bars 4I, and the bolts 45 arethen secured in locked position by the nuts 49.

The upper end of. each shaft 33 extends through the supporting beam 3B and into respective gear boxes 50 which are secured on the upper side of the supporting beam 36, and fixed to the upper end of each shaft 38 is a `bevel gear 5| meshing with a similar gear 52, said gears 52 being fixed to a horizontal shaft 53 which extends through all of the gear boxes 50 and has bearing support in said gear boxes.

The shaft 53 adjacent one end, is supported in a bearing 54 which is mounted on one end of the supporting beam '33 and on said extending end of said shaft 53, is a sprocket 55 which is mounted between a pair of discs 55 which are keyed to said shaft, and the sprocket 55 being secured to the discs by a shear pin 51. Mounted over the sprocket 55 is one end of an endless chain belt 58, the other end of said belt being engaged on a sprocket 53 which is fixed to one end of a shaft 60 which extends from the transmission gearing of the transmission gearing .box 24, said shaft being in alinement and clutchcoupled withlthe transmission shaft 23.

The manner in which the knives 44 are mounted on respective cutter bars 4|, when the shafts 38 are revolved, povide horizontally rotatable cutters which are ideal for being projected into weeds and other roughage growth, as the mowing device is propelled forwardly by the Atraction rollers i3. In this connection, forward rotary motion to the traction rollers I3 is derived by an endless chain belt 3l over-engaging the sprocket 62 which is keyed to the traction roller shaft I9, and said chain belt 3| cooperably engaging a sprocket 63 which is securely-fixed to a shaft 64 which is extended from the transmission gearing box 24 and is rotated by cooperable gear, ing within the gearing box 24.

As thetraction rollers I3 when in operation, propel the mowing device. it is obvious that the power transmission gearing within the gear box 24 is in operation by power source from the motor 2l through the shaft 22 of said motor, being coupled at 65 to the transmission shaft 23. (Figs. 3 and 7) and as the shaft 5l is in alinement with yand coupled with the shaft u by clutching means hereinafter described, said shaft 53 on which the sprocket 53 is secured, will be operated at high or motor shaft speed, and the chain belt I3 which is mounted over the sprockets 53 and 55 which are of -like diameters, will transmit the motor shaft speed to the drive shaft I3 which operates the cutter bar shaft 33 through the relatabie gearing shown and described.

During rotary operation of the knives 44, in the event a knife strikes an obstacle such as a stone, with suillcient force, yield by the striking knife will be afforded by the shear rivet or pin 44 thereof would ordinarily scalp the turf due to gullies or unevenness of the ground, a ground engaging runner 66 is secured to the lower end of each guiding member 34, said runners upon engaging and contacting the turf, preventing ground contact of the knives therewith.

. Under circumstances due to a heavy growth or roughage to be cut, it may be found necessary to elevate or lower the cutter bars 4I and their knives 44 to a greater or lesser distance above the' ground surface, and'for adjusting the elevation of the cutter bars in unison, the supporting beam 35 is capable of being raised or lowered on account of the depending ends 35 of said beam being slidably mounted in respective guiding members 34. To this end,V each depending end 35 of the supporting beam 33 is provided with a vertically disposed rack 31, and in mesh with each rack is a pinion 33, each pinion being keyed to respective ends of a shaft 33 which is horizontally supported in bearings 10.

In mesh with one of the pinions 53 is a worm gear 1I which is supported in bearings 12 whichV are extended vfrom one of the bearings 1l of the shaft 33, and xed to said worm gear is a vertically extending rod 13* having a crank end 14l for turning operation of said rod to effect turning action of the worm gear 1l on the respective pinion 33 for causing the gears to cooperate with respective racks 31 for elevating or lowering the supporting' beam 33 of the cutter bars 4|. To

- assist the worm gear 1I and the respective pinion 33 to lock the supporting beam 33 in a desired elevated position, a locking bolt 13 is carried by each depending end 35 ofthe supporting beam 33, each'bolt projecting through a vertical slot 14 which is formed in respective guiding members 34. Obviously, during adjusting of the supporting ybeam 33, the lockingbolts `13"'are loosened and, after the adjustment has been made, said locking bolts are made secure to'clamp the respective depending ends 35 of the beam 35 in respective guiding members 34.

After cutting use of the horizontally rotatable cutter bars 4I and their knives 44 on weedy growth or roughage by the device or unit further designated as A, said device may be detached from the 'power device B by disconnecting the i members 25.

The device C shown, is of a reel or cylinder type mower having the cutting reel 13 keyedto ahorizontally disposed shaft 11 which is supported at its ends in respective side frames 13, and said the event an obstruction such as a jutting rock frames being supported from the ground by a rearwardly disposed roller I9 and forwardly dis- -hub 02 being mounted over a respective flange 8l .and is heldY on said hubs by respective screw# held washers or discs 83. This hub and ange en^ gaging structure provides for a exible connection of the arms with the device C.

Securely xed on one end of the shaft 11 is a sprocket 84, and mounted over said sprocket is an endless chain belt 05 which is cooperably mounted on a sprocket 86, which is secured on a shaft 91, said shaft being extended from the transmission gearing box 24, and mounted on said shaft within the gearing box is a reduction gear Il having cooperable relation with the transmis- 20 sion "gearing of said gearing box.

with further regard to the traction roners la, a detailed construction thereofin Figs. 1l and l2, shows each roller comprising a sheet metal cylinder l0! having a member 09 secured at one end l actuating dogs 91 which are mounted on respec tive pins 99 that are projected from a disc 99. said disc being fixed to the shaft I9 by the key |90, and -secured to the disc 99 by the screws Ill, is the sprocket 62 with which the endless chain belt 6I 'is cooperable.

The member 92 (not shown) to the outer end of the other roller |l, is cooperable with another dog carrying disc 99 keyed to the shaft I9 but is without the sprocket 02, as

the shaft I9 is driven from but one end. As the sprocket 62 and the-disc 99 to which it is secured. is driven in the directionof the arrow shownin Fig. 12, at least one of the dogs 91 of said disc' 99 will engage a respective tooth 94 of the membe'r 92,l thereby turning said member and a respective roller I8. Likewise, a dog 91 of the disc 99 which is keyed to the other end of the shaft I9, will engage a tooth 9| of the other member 92.

The dogs 91 are of a size to give them sufllcient weight to gravitate on respective pins 99 so that they will be free to readily engage and discusses respective teeth 99, in the event of receding action-l of respective rollers when the device B` and its unit or attachment is swerved from-its straight traveling path by a swaying motion given to theguiding handle bars |1 by the operator.` Also, relatively heavy dogs vwill be capable of freeing themselves from dust or dirt accumulations" which maygather in and around the dogs. d

With further regardto the device or unit A having the horizontally rotatable knives 44 in or the like, is encountered by a rotating knife and which is secured i ingturnlng effort on the shaft I2 to continue rotation of the knives 44 and the bars 4| to which they are mounted. The shearing of the pin I1 will consequently prevent resulting damage from buckling forces and the like, to the device A and its power device B, which would likely occur if the rotating knives were held from rotation without the intervention of the feature ofthe shear pin 51.

The double-edged knives 44 each having a set of three aligning holes, are consequently capable of reversible mounting to the cutter bars 4| so that both cutting edges of each knife can be utilized.

Tofprevent cut weeds and -the like, wedgingbetween the inner side face of each of the casters 3| and their respective supporting yokes |02, an

inclined plate |03 isadjustably secured bythev screws |04 to oneof the legs |05 of each yoke, as i,

shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 13'J and for removing accumulated earth from the periphery of each caster 3|, a scraping plate |06 is secured to respective yokes |02, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The power transmission gearing within the gear box 24, as shown in detail in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, comprises the horizontally extending shaft -22 which extends through the bearing |01 in the end Wall Il. of the box 24, said shaft being in alinement with and secured to the motor shaft 22 by the coupling 06, and the extending end of said shaft 2l within the box 24 being supported in the sleeve portion |09 of the shaft 60, which extends through the endwall I |0. of the box and is supported in thel bearing 'inv said end wall, the shaft 80 having the sprocket 59 thereon.

Securely xed to the shaftl23 is a take-off member ||2 and for clutching cooperation with one side of -said take-off member is a clutch ||3 which is securely fixed to the extending end of the sleeve portion III of the shaft 60, and inabutment with the clutch Il: is grooved shift cenar m which is also securely fixed to the sleeve portion |09,

- and mounted in the groove of said collar isv a lshifting member ||0 having cooperable connection with the extendingvends |16 of a swingably -mounted bifurcated member lll'having its ends pivotalLv connected to the opposite sides of the gearing box 24, as shown more clearly in Figs. 7

. and l0. Securely fixed to the bifurcated member ||1, is a lever llandvfor cooperation with the extending end of said lever is yan eccentric cam Hl which is fixed to one end of a short shaft, |20 which is supported in the side wall |2| of the box 24, and connected to said shaft is a universal joint |22 which is controlled by an operating rod |22 which extends upwardly to a point accessible to the operator,v adjacent-the extending ends of the handle bars I1.

a gear m is sudabiy keyed to' the shaft n within the box 24, and in mesh with said gear and the gear l8\is a gear |29 which is loosely mounted on a stub shaft |20 securedin the end wall III of the box 24, said gears |24, and 99 the knife cannot be forcedlto glance or slide` thereover, the shear pin 51 which secures the sprocket 55 between the pair of discs 09, will be being reduction gearing for operating the cutting reel 'Il of the device C through the chain belt Il and operating sprockets 84' and 99, when power is transmitted from the take-ofi member ||2l 'thmughthe clutch Il'andsleeve portion |09 of the shaft l0. A coil spring |21 `is mounted oncut or broken, `Ythereby eliminating further strain-y upon manipulation by the operator ,will turn the shaft |20, and. the eccentric cam will be turned to push the lever ||3 downwardly for rocking the bifurcated member ||1 and causing the shifting member ||3 to move the collar ||4 and the sleeve portion |03 on which it is mounted, against the pressure of the spring |21. Obviously, the clutch I |3 carriedvby this sleeve portion |03 will thus be disengaged from the take-off member ||2, but the gear |24 on the sleeve portion |03 will not be shifted by the sleeve portion because of it being longitudinally slidable on the key |24'.

For clutching cooperation with the other side of the take-off member l I2, is a clutch |20 which is keyed to a sleeve |20, said sleeve being mounted on the shaft 23 in opposite disposition to the sleeve portion |03 of the shaft 00, and keyed to said sleeve and in abutment with said clutch |20, is a gear |30 and -securely fixed by keying to the opposite end of said sleeve, is a grooved collar |3| and a gear |32.

The sleeve |23 is longitudinally slidable on the shaft 23 and in end Aengagement with said sleeve is a coil spring |33 having seating engagement at its other end with a collar |34 fixed to the.

shaft 23, and for cooperation` with the ,grooved collar |3| is a shifting mechanism |30 having identical partsreferred to as to |22 inclusive.,

which is operable by a turnable rod |30 which extends to a point adjacent the operator similarly as does the rod |23, and is adapted to be manipulated for releasing the clutch |20 from the take-off member ||2 by shifting the sleeve |20 against the pressure of the 'spring |33, and to hold the clutch in its retracted position against the pressure of the spring |33 by reason.y

' mounted on the shaft 04 which is supported in bearings |44, and for holding the gear |43 in constant mesh with the pinion |30, an engaging .plate |40 isvsecured to one of the faces of the pinion |33.` n g The shaft |40 on the end which is engaged in the bearing |42, has a pair of annular grooves |40 and |41, and for cooperation with said grooves is a spring-held locking bali |40, said grooves and cooperating locking ball, adapted to hold the shaft |40 in, respective positions wherein thegear |31 will either be heldin mesh with th'e gear |32 or the gear |30 in mesh with the gear |30, when the shaft- |40 is shifted toithe indicated positions by hand engagement with the knob |40* on said shaft, and theA gear |43 in mesh with the pinion |30 being longitudinally moved o'n the shaft 04 simultaneously with any shiftingof the held-together gears |31, |30 and |30.

'by mnnipuinting the rod m of the shifting' mechanism |35, to release the eccentric cam ||0 from locking engagement with the lever ||0 of the shifting mechanism. However, at the time of engagement of the clutch |23 with .the takeofi member ||2,.either the gear |31 or the gear' should first be moved into meshing engagement with respective gears |32 or |30.

If the gear |30 is in mesh with the gear |30, the power transmitted therethrough and to the gear |43 on the shaft 34, will be of slow speed order and consequently, the sprocket 63 on said shaft which cooperates with the'sprocket 62 on the roller shaft I3 `by the chain belt 6 l, will transport the coupled devices at lslow speed to the vplace of work. If however, the gear |31 is in mesh with the gear |32, a higher speed will be transmitted to the shaft 04. Consequently, the traction rollers I0 will be given a faster ground 8118081118 SDd At the place of work, the cutter bars 4| carrying the knives 44 are put into working operation by manipulating the rod |23 to unlock the eccentric cam ||3 from engagement with the respective lever ||0 so that the coil spring |21 will cause the collar I |4 to slide the sleeve portion. |00 of the shaft 00 on the shaft 23, thereby engaging the clutch ||3 into clutching relation with the take-off member ||2.

The engaging of the clutch ||3 with the takeof! member ||2 will impart the same speed to the shaft 00, as is obtained by the shaft 23, and as the sprocket 00 is mounted on the extending end of the shaft 00, the same speed of shaft 00 will be transmitted to the shaft 53 with which the vertical cutter bar shafts 30 are cooperably connected by the chain belt andfcooperable sprocket 0I on the shaft 53.

When the device A is disconnected and thedevice C is coupled forwardly of the device B by the pusher arm 15, it is obvious that the chain belt i0 will be removed from the sprocket 53 on thel transmission shaft 00, power to the cutting reel 10 of the device C being transmitted thereto by connecting the chain belt 00 over the sprocket 00 on the shaft 0,1, which is extended from the transmission gearing and the sprocket 04 on the shaft 11 of the cutting lreel. As the sprocket 00 and shaft 01 thereof is operated by the reduction gearing |24-|25 and 30, the speed of rotation of the cutting reel 10 is lower than that of the cutter bars 4| and knives 44 carried thereby, which is requisite in cutting devices of this character.

' As may be required due to the nature, size or condition of the verdant growth to be cut, either the device A having the horizontally disposed cutting knives 44, or the device C. having the cutting reel 10, may be traveled at either high or low speeds by slidably manipulating the shaft |40 to dispose the gears |31-|30 into meshing engagement with their respective gears |32-|30.

The knives 44 of the device A on the cutter bars 4| are disposed in the same horizontal plane In the operation of the power transmissionA gearing on the coupled together devicesA and the place of work, the clutch |20 is engaged with the take-o# member ||2 by the coil spring |33 bearing against the sleeve |20, the letting-in of the clutch bythe coil spring` |33 being permitted and the rotating arcs D in Fig. 3, described by the knives or respective cutter bars, are shown to overlap one another, this overlapping arrangement eliminating the possibility of any uncut ridges being formed or left within the cut-over From an inspection of Fig. 3, it is to be noted 'that the cutter bars 4| and their knives 44 are rotated in the same direction, and ln'so doing, the cut weeds of al1 of the knives will be thrown into a windrow'on the right-hand side of the device A when the device is being traveled in the direction indicated by the arrow E, and so that the'end edges |49 of the knives M may not strike the severed fallings weeds or the like, said end edges may be cut back on an angular line approximately as shown in dotted lines.

Having thus described the invention so that those skilled in the art will be able to practice the same, what we desire to secure byY Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed, it being understood that various changes in the devices shown and described in detail and not amounting to invention, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim is: I

1. A mowing device having a vertically inclining shaft, a depending bracket for the support of said shaft, cutting knives extending at right angles from the lower end of said shaft beneath said bracket, and a relatively long upwardly extending hub carried by said shaft and encasing the lower end of said bracket.

2. A mowing device having a, vertically inclining shaft, a depending bracket forthe sup-v port of said shaft, a knife supporting bar fixed to the lower end of said shaft at right angles thereto, a knife supported' by said bar, and a hub secured to said bar and surrounding said bracket for a considerable distance of its length.

3. A horizontally rotatable cutter for a mowing device comprising a vertically disposed shaft, a supporting bar fixed at right angles to the lower end of said shaft, and a cutting blade secured to one end of said bar by a pair of pins the shaft, the outer disposed pin of sai each of which are disposed at different radii from pair of pins being of lesser diameter than the ther pin.

4. A horizontally rotatable cutter fora mowing device comprising a vertically disposed shaft, a supporting bar concentrically fixed at right angles to the lower end of said shaft, aknife carried by said bar at one end thereof and in alinement therewith, and a pairof pins forsecuring said knife to said bar and disposed at different distances from said shaft, the o'uter disposed pin being o f weaker metal than'theother pin. y

5. A power moving device comprising, a base member having a rearwardly disposed traction roller, a frame disposed forwardly of said base member and having side arms detachably secured to said base member, casters forvthe support of said frame. a vertically disposed guiding member secured to eaclr' side arm, a transf 6. A mowing device having a vertically inclined shaft, a depending bracket for the support ofsaid shaft, a knife supporting'bar xed to the lower end of said shaft at right angles thereto, a knife carried by said bar, and a relatively long flanged hub secured to said bar by' the' flange of the hub, said hub encasing said bracket a considerable distance of its length and from the lower end thereof.

y v JOSEPH C. STEINER. GLAIJDE` C. FULTON. 

